Life-boat



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lMATTHIAS LUDLUM, OF ESSEX, NEW YORK.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,491, dated January 27, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concer/1,:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS LUDLUM, of Essex, in the county of Essexand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Article ofManufacture-viz., an Improved Life-Boat; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l, is a side view of a boat constructedaccording to my invention. Fig. 2, is a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

This invention consists of a new article of manufacture, viz, a lifeboat, made in the hereinafter described manner.

A, A, are two parallel hollow tubular air-tight floats made of boileriron or other material, with prow-shaped ends f, f, and with keels b, b,said floats being placed at some distance apart.

B, is a boat-shaped car for the reception of passengers, resting on theprow-shaped ends of the floats A, A, and supported on the floats atvarious points between the ends by standards a, a, and stayed thereto bystays c, o, said car being placed at a considerable elevation above thefloats so as to keep it generally some distance above the surface of thewater and prevent the passengers being washed overboard or continuallyoverwhelmed by the breaking of the waves over it. This car has seatsarranged in any convenient manner and has lockers z', z', arranged alongwithin the sides to contain provisions, clothing, etc., and tanksarranged in a similar manner within t-he ends for water, said lockersand tanks being kept ready filled for use and serving for seats when theboat is in the water.

C, is a paddle wheel arranged to work in an opening in the bottom of thecar B, and having its upper part inclosed in a water tight casing D, toexclude the water from the interior of the car. The shaft D, of thiswheel is geared with another shaft e, which is to be turned by hand bymeans of cranks.

E, E, are pumps placed within the car B, with pipes leading to thefloats A, A, and

furnished with brakes I, to be worked by persons in the car to pump outany water that may leak into the floats.

F, is a rudder suspended below the car in a suitable framing midwaybetween the floats.

G, G, are two awning posts fitted to slide up and down in hollowstandards H, H, arranged in the center of the car. These posts carry ahorizontal bar K, and are provided with racks g, g, to be operated uponto raise and lower the bar K, by pinions L, h on a horizontal shaft F.J, J, are smaller awning posts attached to the sides of the car. Theawning L, is put up by attaching it to the bar K, after lowering theposts G, G, then attaching it to the posts J, J, by hooks and eyes orsimilar fastenings and afterward raising the posts G, G, by .means ofthe racks and pinions till the awning is tightened.

Sliding valves are to be employed at the ends of the paddle box D, whichmay be opened by floats to let any water escape from the interior of theboat or car.

This life boat may be used on coasts for the purpose of saving life fromshipwreck or may be carried by ships or other vessels. It may belaunched in the same way as any other boat, or, when on board anothervessel, the latter, if in a sinking state, maybe allowed to go downwithout launching it, the passengers having all previously got into thelife boat, which will be left floating.

This life boat possesses advantages over other life boats in its keepingthe passengers high out of the water protected from the waves. It hasgreat buoyancy and will stand any sea without capsizing.

I do not claim the construction of vessels by placing a deck on two ormore floats; neit-her do I claim the use of two floats as doublevessels, of various descriptions have long been known; neither do Iclaim a propelling wheel between two vessels; neither do I claim to havediscovered any new method of giving buoyancy to vessels; neither do Iclaim to have discovered any new principle, nor any new method ofapplying any principle; neither do I claim any new method of saving thelives of passengers at sea nor of protecting them from the l waves ofthe sea;

iron floats and arranged and constructed as hereinbefore described, isto the best of my knowledge and belief an entirely new article ofmanufacture; therefore l I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,as a new article of manufacture The life boat herein described, whenmade but, a life boat, having and manufactured substantially as setforth.

MATTHIAS LUDLUM.

Witnesses:

M. H. STOWER, B. N. PAOKILL.

